In Italy, the HTA report on HPV screening defined the possible new recommendations for public health programs in 2012 (1) and the Italian Ministry of Health recceived these recommendations in 2013.
The Italian National Prevention Plan 2014-2018 established among the aims for the Regional Health Systems the complete transformation of the cervical cancer screening from Pap test to HPV-based by the end of 2018 (2).
The main points of the new guidelines and the strategies for implementations adopted in Italy will be presented.
After the inclusion of the HPV as primary screening test for women over 30/35 with 5-year interval and cytologic triage in the Italian recommendations, several tools for implementations have been developed by the National Screening Monitoring Centre (ONS) and the Italian cervical cancer screening scientific society (GISCi).
The ONS conducted a survey on behalf of the Ministry of Health to assess the level of HPV screeing implementation in the 20 Italian Regions.
In 2015 16% of the Italian target population have been invited for a HPV test.
Implementation of HPV-based programs differs among regions for starting age (30 or 35) and for the transition strategies.
The level of implementation also differs with regions that already completely converted their screening program and other regions that did not yet completed the administrative steps necessary for identification of centralised HPV test laboratories, for the call for tender to purchase test.
In Italy public screening programs are shifting from Pap test to HPV test-based screening. The regional healt systems are affording this change with different strategies and at different speeds. Despite a clear definition of the national goals by the Ministry of Health, not all the regions probably will reach the target of completing the transition by the end of 2018.
(1) Ronco G, Biggeri A, Confortini M, Naldoni C, Segnan N, Sideri M, Zappa M, Zorzi M, Calvia M, Accetta G, Giordano L, Cogo C, Carozzi F, Gillio Tos A, Arbyn M, Mejier CJ, Snijders PJ, Cuzick J, Giorgi Rossi P. [Health technology assessment report: HPV DNA based primary screening for cervical cancer precursors]. Epidemiol Prev. 2012 May-Aug;36(3-4 Suppl 1):e1-72.
(2) Ministero della Salute. Piano Nazionale della PRevenzione 2014-2018. Available at: http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_2285_allegato.pdf